Wednesday, 13 September 2017

Singapore's 8th and first female President

The highly-criticised Miss Universe Singapore 2018 national costume has spawned a photoshop battle on social media, drawing submissions from dozens of netizens.Some of those who took part in the photoshop battle replaced the digital image on the skirt of the dress with notable Singapore icons, foods and prominent figures, while others used other creative images to create an optical illusion. Other netizens also featured images and quotes by prominent figures in their submissions.Establishment figures like the late Founding Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew, his son and current Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, Lee Hsien Loong’s wife and Temasek CEO Ho Ching in her infamous sandals, and President Halimah Yacob were among those featured in the photoshop battle.

In the 80s people really thought Lee Kuan Yew would be Spore's first Elected President

In the 1980s when the Government released its first White Paper on Elected Presidency, the people really thought that Lee Kuan Yew would become Singapore’s first Elected President. Dr Tan Cheng Bock who was then the chief of Government’s feedback channel confirmed this in Parliament during the debate of the Bill.

“They see Mr Lee Kuan Yew as the next President and Mr Goh Chok Tong as the next Prime Minister and ask, is not everything the same except in name?” – Dr Tan Cheng Bock in Parliament. Now, a former Senior Political Correspondent at Straits Times, Ismail Kassim, in a Facebook note has suggested that Dr Tan’s feedback was accurate. “At that time (late 1980s), the hot topic was succession.,” he wrote.

Adding: “It seemed then to many people that Singapore was going to adopt the Taiwan model where for a number of years the elder Chiang was president and the younger Chiang was the prime minister – a father and son combination.”

It seemed then to many people that Singapore was going to adopt the Taiwan model where for a number of years the elder Chiang was president and the younger Chiang was the prime minister - a father and son combination.

President Halimah Yacob spent $220,875 in total on her election campaign, the majority of which went towards the advertising and printing of promotional materials:

She spent $198,154 in this area, of which $72,931.20 went into the printing of 20,100 posters – inclusive of a $1,800 disposal fee – according to election expenses documents made available by the Elections Department (ELD) on Saturday (7 October).

These posters, printed in anticipation of the campaigning period for the 2017 Presidential Election (PE), did not end up being used as Halimah won the election in a walkover after being declared the only candidate eligible to contest in the PE.

Other expenses listed included $29,000 spent on a “Profile Video Project”; $14,050 spent on website development; and $9,826 spent on 510 t-shirts along with 10,000 pin badges. Her team also spent $34,000 on printing 1.28 million Admail A5 cards.

Halimah’s spending on her team also included a nearly $2,000 buffet dinner catered by Islamic Restaurant on 12 September, the eve of Nomination Day. In total, she spent $3,385 on “food, refreshments and accommodation”, along with $5,992 on renting a room at the NTUC Centre on 1 Marina Boulevard.

$800,000 in donations received:

Under the Presidential Elections Act, the principal election agents of PE candidates have to submit the return on election expenses and corresponding statement within 31 days of the PE’s result being declared in the Government Gazette. The expenses report includes details of donations made towards a candidate’s election campaign.

Halimah’s campaign received $800,000 in total from seven donations under the “Single Recordable Donations” category, which lists single donations of $10,000 or more. Of the seven donations, the highest was a cheque for $440,000 from a single individual.

“All unused donations raised will be returned to the kind donors,” said Halimah and her team in a press statment, which noted that she had submitted her expenses documents on 3 October.

President Halimah Yacob spent over $220,000 on election expenses, mostly on promotional materials

The election returns documents also included a list of donations made to her campaign that revealed that the President’s team raised $800,000 from six individuals and one marine company.

Businessman Ng Kim Choon gave over half of the total donations, with a whopping $440,000, while Sheng Shiong chief Lim Hock Chee and marine firm Singapore Salvage Engineers donated $50,000 each, among other donors.

The President’s Campaign team said in a statement on Saturday that all unused donations will be returned to the donors, before adding:

“The donors have been encouraged by Madam Halimah’s passion for social causes. Many of them have indicated that they intend to make a contribution to the next cycle of the President’s Challenge.”

Meanwhile, it has also been revealed that President Halimah’s opponents, Farid Khan and Salleh Marican, spent $200,000 and $90,000 respectively as they prepared for their unsuccessful bids for the presidency. Both men said that the amount they spent came from their own pockets.

The Elections Department made public on Saturday (Oct 7) documents on how much President Halimah Yacob spent on her election campaign.

Called the returns of election expenses, the documents include a list of donations, as well as the amount spent in categories such as transportation, advertising & printing of promotional materials, and food & refreshments.

Mdm Halimah spent a total of S$220,875 on her campaign, and here are 5 notable aspects of her expenses:

Most of it was spent on promotional materials

It's not free to use a room in the National Trades Union Congress (NTUC) building

Is President Halimah Yacob moving to landed property at Bournemouth Road in Mountbatten?

Some netizens online have claimed that they’ve found out exactly where President Halimah Yacob is going to move to: a thrre-storey detached house at Bournemouth Road in Mountbatten.

Photos of the property have been circulating online and the social media sphere has been abuzz with speculation that this will be the President’s new home since the property boasts of a newly-erected security post outside and the presence of a Gurkha guard. One netizen even alleged:

“My friend that lives opposite says heavy police presence. All cars are screened. And some neighbours have been interviewed.”

Such speculation comes after it was announced on Monday last week that President Halimah Yacob is all set to move out of her home in Yishun Ave 4 after strongly being advised to do so by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA). MHA said in a press release that it had conducted a careful assessment of the security arrangements for the President and had informed her that security agencies face several challenges in ensuring her security and protection, if she continues to stay in her current home.

President Halimah purportedly to move into private estate along Bournemouth Road

A guard post outside a private estate manned by two Gurka merceneries (Photo by Terry Xu)

A photo circulating on social media showing a guard post being hoisted by the side of a road claims that it is meant for the new residence of President Halimah Yacob, who was elected as the new President in a walkover Reserved Presidential Election. The message wrote:

"My friend who lives opposite says heavy police presence.

All cars are screened.

And some neighbours have been interviewed."

Following the information, The Online Citizen dropped down to the said location along Bournemouth Road and discovered the guard post shown in the photo to have been fixed into place and manned by two Gurkha soldiers.

President Halimah Yacob to move out of Yishun HDB flat due to security 'challenges'

President-elect Halimah Yacob's block in Yishun. TODAY file Foto

President Halimah Yacob will soon move out of the jumbo Yishun flat where she & her family have stayed for over 2 decades, due to challenges in ensuring her security & protection.

The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) said in a statement on Monday (Oct 2) that it had conducted an assessment after Madam Halimah expressed a wish to continue living in her family's Housing & Development Board (HDB) flat, which is made up of two adjacent 4-room & 5-room flats bought on the resale market.

But the security agencies found "several challenges" in ensuring the President's security in her current home, the ministry added without giving details.

Thank you for everyone's concern with regard to my residential arrangements. MHA has just issued a statement about the security challenges they face if I continue to stay in my current home. Therefore, as much as I would like to continue living in my current home in Yishun, I have accepted MHA's recommendation and will make arrangements to move to a new place soon.

President Halimah Yacob will move out of her Yishun flat, after taking advice from security agencies tasked with ensuring her safety.

The Ministry of Home Affairs said after a careful assessment of security arrangements, it has informed Madam Halimah that "the security agencies face several challenges in ensuring her security and protection, if she continues to stay in her current home".

"MHA has therefore strongly advised the President to consider moving to another place. This will enable the agencies to ensure her safety & security with greater assurance," it added in a statement.

President Halimah Yacob will be moving out from her home at Yishun Avenue 4, according to a press release by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) on Monday (Oct 2).

MHA said it has conducted a careful assessment of the security arrangements for the President, & has informed her that security agencies "face several challenges in ensuring her security & protection" if she continues to stay in her current home.

The ministry has "strongly advised" the President to consider moving to another place, as this will enable the agencies to ensure her safety & security with greater assurance.

The President had stated that she would like to continue to live in her current home in Yishun, subject to security considerations.

MHA has conducted a careful assessment of the security arrangements for the President. It has informed the President that the security agencies face several challenges in ensuring her security and protection, if she continues to stay in her current home. MHA has therefore strongly advised the President to consider moving to another place. This will enable the agencies to ensure her safety and security with greater assurance.

President has accepted MHA's security recommendation. She will make arrangements to move to a new place soon.

DPM Tharman ‘would have preferred a contest’ for Presidential Election

Deputy Prime Minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam said on Wednesday that he would have preferred a contest in the recent Presidential ElectionSpeaking at the first Majulah Lecture organised by the Nanyang Technological University on Wednesday (20 Sept), Tharman was quizzed on the 2017 Presidential Election after the lecture, according to media reports.One student asked if the reserved presidential election is an indication that Singapore is “regressing as a society”, despite Singaporeans growing up reciting a pledge with the words “regardless of race, language or religion”.In response, Tharman said while he was “proud” that Halimah Yacob was the first Malay president in 47 years, he told the audience of more than 1,500 it was “understandable” that Singaporeans had questions about the recent election, which was reserved for Malay candidates.read more

Inauguration ceremony for President-elect Halimah Yacob

Singapore make history as it inaugurates its first female President on Thursday (Sep 14)

Criticisms of Elected Presidency persist despite explanations and justifications

In a Today report dated 15 September 2017, it is reported that despite the fact that it was the week of firsts for Singaporean to have the first reserved election which resulted in the city state's first woman President and the first Malay Head of State in 47 years, criticism of the election process for the Elected Presidency (EP) has persisted online.Madam Halimah Yacob, 63, was sworn in on 14 September as President. However, instead of revelling in her role on a historic occasion, she had to answer questions about how she was going to unite a country divided by her election.The report noted that the biggest reason why the criticism arose was because Singaporeans were denied to vote as the government had disqualified two other potential candidates.read more

Only one Singaporean is fit to be president

IT IS very important, Lee Hsien Loong, Singapore’s prime minister, explained last year, that all Singaporeans feel they have a genuine chance of becoming president. To that end, his government tinkered with the eligibility criteria for candidates.Yet Singaporeans primed for a festival of inclusiveness at this year’s election must be confused. On September 11th a committee of senior officials declared that only one candidate was eligible to stand, and that the woman in question, Halimah Yacob, a former speaker of parliament, was thus deemed to have been elected unopposed. She will be sworn in on September 14th.Popular and competent, Ms Halimah seemed very likely to win even with some competition. Disqualifying her challengers robs her of the modicum of legitimacy the election could have given her. Voters excited to mark ballots for Singapore’s first female president are particularly disappointed. Then again, Singapore’s repeated tightening of the rules suggests a lack of faith that voters, given a wider choice, would make the right decision.read more

Singapore crowns president without vote

The former member of the People’s Action Party (PAP), which has dominated the tiny republic since independence, entered politics in 2001. She was elected four times.The restricted election has been criticised. “The only beneficiaries from this reserved presidential election are Halimah Yacob and her team, as well as Singapore’s opposition, which now has a new line of attack against the PAP. The rest of Singapore has suffered,” Sudhir Vadaketh, a Singaporean commentator, told CNN.And Hamish Brown, a long-term radio personality, posted on Facebook: “Meritocracy went out the window as soon as this presidential election was reserved for one particular ethnic race over all others.”read moreHow Singapore elected a president without a vote

Former Speaker of Parliament Halimah Yacob has emerged victorious by default, after other presidential hopefuls fell foul of new rules."I can only say that I promise to do the best that I can to serve the people of Singapore and that doesn't change whether there is an election or no election," she told reporters Monday.What should be a moment of celebration -- Halimah will be Singapore's first female president -- has proved contentious for several reasons and appears at odds with Singapore's reputation as a technocratic and efficient city state.read moreSingapore Has a New President, No Election Needed

Halimah Yacob, the former speaker of Singapore’s Parliament, will become the country’s first female president on Thursday when she is sworn in without a voteHalimah Yacob, 63, a former speaker of Parliament, will become the country’s first female president and the first in five decades to come from the Malay ethnicity when she is sworn in on Thursday.But what could have been a notable milestone for Singapore’s democracy is instead being publicly questioned as a rigged process, and her legitimacy is already coming under fire.While Singapore’s Constitution does, in fact, provide for voters to elect their president, the government established such narrow criteria for the candidates that only Ms. Halimah made the cut.read moreHalimah Yacob will continue to live in Yishun flat

President-elect Halimah Yacob will not only become Singapore's 1st woman president, but she will also be the 1st to live in a Housing Board flat during her term.Shortly after being declared the winner in a walkover, she told reporters that she had no plans to move out of her family home in Yishun."I'm still staying in Yishun," said Madam Halimah Yacob, 63, when asked where she would be living after becoming president.read moreSecurity stepped up around President-elect Halimah Yacob's flat in Yishun

Residents in the area said that lots have been newly reserved for police vehicles. (Foto: Gaya Chandramohan)

Change is afoot in Yishun Ave 4, where Singapore's incoming President Halimah Yacob has lived for over 2 decades.When Channel NewsAsia visited Madam Halimah’s HDB block on Wednesday (Sep 13) just hours after she was declared as the President-elect, there was a visible police presence.Fresh red paint marked parking lots meant for police vehicles, & just outside her corner flat were two policemen checking on anyone who wanted to enter the area. At the block opposite, more uniformed officers were on patrol.read more

A Halimah Yacob presidential residence in Yishun Ave 4 will be like this for 6 years

If you live anywhere near her, fun times to come.

There are perks and downsides to this arrangement of allowing Halimah to continue to live in Yishun — with some of these downsides downplayed.

Other than the fact that the block will become the safest place in Singapore and how all of this is so very novel, here are some other consequences of a Yishun presidential residence that have yet to be addressed:

The president’s coming and going will be scrutinised by the whole estate

Which resident doesn’t want to have a President to stay in the same block of HDB flats as them? Housing prices will soar, area will be safe and Yishun will be great again!But we never had a President who lived in HDB. Just imagine the inconveniences:

Parking

Living Room

Town Council

Road block

It’s Yishun again

read moreMdm Halimah’s insistence to stay at her HDB flat as President will likely cause inconvenience to fellow residents

A view of the corridor leading to Madam Halimah Yacob's Yishun flat. PHOTO: LIANHE ZAOBAOPresident-elect Halimah Yacob has said that she will continue to live in her sixth-floor Housing Board flat. After winning the Presidential Election through a walkover on Wednesday, Mdm Halimah told reporters that she had no plans to move out of her family home in Yishun.She was quoted saying, "I am still staying in Yishun - It is a very nice, comfortable place, and I have been living there for many years." The HDB flat which she stays in, is by no means a modest apartment. It is a jumbo flat which is made up of a four-room and a five-room flat which she has lived in with her family for more than 30 years.The Police Security Command, tasked with protecting government leaders, already had arrangements there when she was Speaker of Parliament before she left to run for president. But with her recent change of status, police have since intensified security measures in the area.read moreSilent sit-in protest against Reserved Presidential Elections to be held on Saturday

The event will not have any speakers, and people are encouraged to simply sit down in the park as a sign of a protest against the PE. On the event’s Facebook page, Goh posted:

“Fear has crippled you all this while you are burnt up inside and its time to unlease that frustration by showing up with like-minded Singaporeans together as ONE voice.”

Participants were also told to wear black on Saturday. In fact, #NotMyPresident black tee shirts will be sold on Saturday so that participants can wear them during the sit-in protest. The hashtag had trended after the walkover was announced, when Singaporeans took it to social media to express their anger about losing their voting rights.At the time of writing, 108 people had confirmed their attendance, while 537 people had indicted their interest in the protest.read moreSince We Couldn’t Vote In The 2017 Presidential Election, Somebody’s Created An Online Poll

After months of controversy and discussions about our races, the whole fiasco known as the 2017 Presidential Elections is finally coming to an end as President-elect Halimah Yacob prepares to begin her term on Thursday (14 Aug).Even though we weren’t too pleased with the outcome nor did we get that public holiday, life still goes on as usual and this election will eventually be but a distant memory by next week.So as we move on to talk about more important issues such as North Ko- what’s that? You’re saying that if there actually was an election, Halimah wouldn’t have won? You want us here at MustShareNews to write about it because you’re sure the Government only did this as they knew she would’ve lost to either Farid Khan or Salleh Marican?read moreFor curiosity sake. Suppose there is no walkover for the Presidential Election. Who would u hv voted for?

Some observers expressed support for the historic moment but others were disappointed that there would be no contest in an election reserved exclusively for candidates from the minority Malay community - the first of its kind in the city-state.On Tuesday, the hashtag #notmypresident was trending on Twitter in Singapore, with social media users expressing their ire at what they saw as the lack of a democratic process.‘Democracy officially revealed to be dead in #Singapore,’ user John Tan wrote. ‘How did 'Elected Presidency' become 'Selected Presidency?'‘ another Twitter user wondered. Still others asked why the bar for presidential qualifications was not lowered in order to field more candidates.read morePRESIDENTIAL ELECTION FIASCO IS “IRREFUTABLE PROOF” OF HOW STUPID PAP THINK S’POREANS ARE

“Singaporeans have always known that our politicians… consider themselves superior beings,” said writer Sudhir Thomas Vadaketh. “Now, with this reserved presidency, we have irrefutable proof about just how stupid they think we are.”The farce that is the Reserved Election will, once again, prove the PAP right. Singaporeans are a stupid bunch.They will wail and beat their chests, they may even pull their hair out and – as the Chinese would say – “cry father cry mother” when things go wrong, or when the Government does not perform to expectation. But you can also count on the same Singaporeans to timidly and unquestioningly hand over their votes to the same ruling party they complain about when the time comes, which is once every 5 years.read morePower and dignity: the true cost of the PAP’s EP bargain

Politics is about power, but it is also about dignity. While the PAP may have consolidated its power by crafting the ‘rules of the game’ in a manner that has allowed its preferred candidate to win the Presidential Election with a walkover, little could be said about the level of political dignity that it has earned for itself as a result of the way events unfolded.According to the PAP government, the whole point of a reserved election was to ensure that minorities will be represented. How ironic it is then that an election was denied to the Singaporean public, such that as a result, not a single Singaporean will be represented at the ballot box at all this week. This is without doubt a puzzling outcome. It seems after all, that the point was not to ensure that the President is a Malay person, but that she also happens to be the right Malay person.Some might argue that the other two candidates were disqualified fair and square, because they failed to meet the eligibility criteria. However, there is hardly anything fair about setting the rules of the game (i.e. the Presidential eligibility criteria) in one’s favour, and then winning at it. This is not a feature of a responsible government, but the mark of a playground bully who cares little about fairness or dignity in the conduct of his affairs, but believes in a world where power, strength and authority underlie all human affairs. While it is never the duty of a political party to assist its political opponents, it owes a duty to the people of the country to set the rules of the game fairly and responsibly, assuming that it ought to wield the power to set the rules in the first place.read more

Highlights: Nomination Day, PE2017

12.04am: Mdm Halimah Yacob has been declared President-elect as she becomes Singapore's 1st female President & the 1st Malay head of state in more than 47 years.Madam Halimah Yacob has been declared President-elect as she is set to become the country's first female President and the first Malay head of state in more than 47 years. She will be sworn in as Singapore's 8th President on Thursday (Sep 14) at the Istana, a statement from the Prime Minister's Office said.Mdm Halimah submitted her nomination papers on Wednesday morning - the final step she had to undergo as a presidential candidate. Among the documents she submitted at the Nomination Centre, located at the People's Association headquarters at King's George's Avenue, were the certificate of eligibility issued by the Presidential Elections Committee, the community certificate issued by the Community Committee & a political donation certificate. Mdm Halimah collected her certificate of eligibility from the Elections Department on Tuesday.The former Speaker of Parliament was the only person to qualify for an election that was scheduled for this month.read moreCGTN‏ @CGTNOfficial 20 minutes ago

Azmi Achilles · 6:30 No need to thank us. We never voted. Its shoved into our face..same like your policies, erps, electric bills surge, coe. Seems like this is the trend, we either take it or leave it.42 · 1 hrLouis Tan · 9:36 Congratulations........ President Madam Halimah Yacob . This is history , our first Lady President. May the force be with you .. All the best.17 · 51 mins1 ReplyNas X Hanafi · 12:49 she said, "masa utk memilih President... (time to choose our President)... i didnt even choose lor how ah?7 · 55 mins1 ReplyAleem Bhai · 17:57 Mdm President. Hope as a tudung donning president, you could bring up the tudung issue in Singapore now. Let's see if u have that mettle now.6 · 49 minsBernard Lim · 18:35 Just donate 95% of your salary to charity if you want to do good for Singapore. $ should not be important since the people will be paying for your lodging and food. What say you??.4 · 49 mins2 Replies · 35 minsAllan Terry Rizzy · 12:32 @Felissa Wee Then what about those speaking Mandarin? Not everyone understands Mandarin.. It's just a short malay speech for goodness sake5 · 55 minsOng Qizong · 8:06 "i can see my sisters here are so delighted" I'm also delight~..... brush up your english before you go throw our face !5 · 59 minsHwang Young Young · 5:03 RC supporter there only. Please la... actually u are already been disquality you dont have 500million assets and you are a indian. You are self delusional. I wonder how your dad felt you had disown your own race.7 · 1 hrMohammed Faizal · 15:46 Why man? Why do you (Chinese ) dislike the first female president of Singapore? Why do you comment like hated speech? Let it do her jobs.3 · 52 minsHeo Ba · 14:56 With this kinda of citeria of 500million ... i think in future only ppl serving pap will have a chance be president3 · 53 minsRaymond Huang · 10:31 China will know Singapore is multi-racial and NOT Chinese country.11 · 57 minsSiti Munira · 4:47 First female malay president don the hijab ❤️ alhamdulilah!12 · 1 hr

Siti Munira · 4:47 First female malay president don the hijab ❤️ alhamdulilah!12 · 1 hr明石太郎 · 18:12 Of course comfortable to address public la. One route ticket into instana worry about what. The puppet master is controlling the puppet Yacob nicely.1 · 51 minsRemino EL SuanTo · 16:05 No matter what race you are, that's not my main priorty. The actual main priorty is what will you do for us. After years of election, finally came up a lady president.1 · 54 minsLukas Godfrey · 6:12 "Siti Munira: First female malay president don the hijab ❤️ alhamdulilah!""Regardless race, language or religion". This is why the pledge is just nonsense. It never made sense then, it doesn't make sense now.3 · 1 hr · EditedFelissa Wee · 10:34 Is she giving such a long Malay speech to show that she is Malay? Not everyone in Sg understands Malay. What happened to do together. I feel left out59 mins1 ReplyYudhishthra Nathan · 7:24 If you believe so much in multiracialism why not call for By-Election in Marsiling-Yee Tee which has no Malay MP now? Ridiculous1 · 1 hr2 Replies · 35 minsExplore Indonesia Yogya-Bromo Ijen-Bali Tour · 2:03 ALHAMDULILAH!!! :) doa kami semoga ibu halimah bisa menjalankan amanah rakyat singapore yg kami cintai. :) kita berdampingan saling mendukung,hususnya di bidang pariwisata :)2 · 1 hrNg Lin Jie · 8:18 I think she's very important, glad to have her protecting our reserve while we usher the nonsense opposition into the parliament3 · 1 hrKenny Chan Wai Kong · 5:56 Let's hope you will do what u have said....even though I'm not ur supporter, congrats to u and please don't let Singaporean down2 · 1 hrAlbert Ng · 12:30 This non-public elected President would be the start of separating the bonding among our multi-racial society...1 · 57 minsRichard Ho Chin Hee · 16:08 Aiyo Madam President could you kindly declare and earmark 13 Sept a Public Holiday as this is special day for making history yeah54 minsDirharto Juhasman Sudirman · 18:33 You can never pleased Singaporeans. Pathetic. But when comes to election, still vote for their same party. Boohoo3 · 51 mins

Awcw Wilz · 8:36 National Geographical Channel and the WWF should be so proud to see so many animals-represented profilers commenting. 😂1 · 1 hrBilly Silva · 19:28 The Only thing that is unfair is there was no fair fight among the other candidates..But.. its nothing wrong if she doesnt speak in mandarin..Not as if Mr Tony Tan spoke in tamil or hindi..1 · 23 minsBala Nathan · 7:27 Get all the foreign trash out of our country if you are really for us born Singaporeans. We've had enough of their filth.1 · 1 hrAleem Bhai · 0:00 One thing for sure, it's definitely a morale booster for makcik makcik pasar. They will walk along the hdb corridor now with head held high. Hehehehehege1 · 44 minsSumari Manit · 0:51 Billionaire Jack Ma found his billionaire Sister in Malaysia Rose 🌹 Mah. In Singapore he found another President elect Hali Mah. Congratulation President HaliMah.1 · 32 mins1 ReplyDaniel Lee · 8:16 its not elected president la.....its walkover president. pls get the headlines right!7 · 1 hrHenry Oh · 16:40 Congratulations Madam President. I'm not disappointed despite no contest because I already made up my mind to cast my vote on you long long time ago. Cheers👍2 · 54 minsExplore Indonesia Yogya-Bromo Ijen-Bali Tour · 2:16 congratulation madam! this is the AMANAH from ALLAH! AMIN!! :)7 · 1 hrSahbidah Ahmad Shah · 5:45 Please give us one PUBLIC HOLIDAY your honour President 🤣🤣🤣🤣7 · 1 hrDavid Lee · 9:27 Don't dream of public holiday guys. She still need to go back consult her family and colleagues lah..1 · 1 hrAlexandra Tan · 6:43 PAPS elected her altho not singaporeans but it goes to show her contribution to many grassroots work is recognised thus giving her the edge over the other two contestant..34 minsJj Lim · 1:42 She is a local who speak local style and understand the local culture very well. Applaud for her new role to contribute to Singapore2 · 32 minsIkka Teka Muna · 0:00 I don't really understand why a lot of haters.wake up haters it doesn't matter that she's not electected its your ministries ,cabinets or whoever choose her they believe that she can do the job for Singaporeans31 mins

Joel Kong · 16:54 I laughed at USA, then at Malaysia. Now they laugh at me.9 · 55 minsDennis Ang · 0:00 Please do not use the word "Elected" cos she wasn't elected to office. Use "Appointed" instead.6 · 49 minsMimi Abdul Rasip · 7:11 Congratulations Mdm Halimah for being the 1st Female Malay President of Singapore. Hopefully u will lead us Singaporean successfully and fairly. Majulah Singapura ...30 minsJennifer Liow · 0:00 PM has made history for Singapore...a Reserved Malay Appointed President 👏🏼 Hope he can make another history.... appoint a new PM of minority race 🤗27 minsMark Tee · 18:02 Very tough presidential fight indeed. Very tough5 · 54 minsEva Chow · 9:44 How can she be the "Elected President" when the pple of Singapore did not vote for her..🙄🙄6 · 1 hrSekyang Lim · 0:00 When are you leaving this forsaken place? Or just doing the usual complaining and nothing else. Walk the talk, empty vessel.44 minsJoel Kong · 16:03 Given the opportunity. She is honest lah. If not endorsed, how dare to resign and be President Select?56 minsJoel Kong · 13:16 Election is over? There wasn't one to begin with...8 · 58 minsHanzo Oznah · 5:38 Please declare one day holiday for Singaporean to celebrate3 · 1 hrJerry Lin · 13:23 Election is over?? Was there ever an election??5 · 58 minsMuhammad Shukri · 9:56 Don't talk so much lah #notmypresident4 · 1 hrTan LiLian · 3:12 Congratulations! We are Singaporean regardless of race. We are one people one nation. Our First Lady President! 👏👏👏5 · 1 hrKhee Jiali · 2:01 Haters should stop disgracing Singapore. What's wrong to be proud of a female president. Geez.5 · 1 hr1 ReplyMaria Theresa Valdez · 21:20 Haters gonna hate!! Go for it madam president halimah yacob3 · 49 minsread morePeople feel 'muzzled and angry' because they could not vote this Presidential Election: Tan Cheng BockPresident-elect Halimah Yacob will occupy the "most controversial presidency in the history of Singapore", former presidential candidate Tan Cheng Bock said on Wednesday (Sep 13).Mdm Halimah submitted her nomination papers on Wednesday morning and will be sworn in as Singapore's eighth President on Thursday.The former Speaker of Parliament was the only person to qualify for the election, which was reserved for Malays following changes to the Elected Presidency. Two other presidential hopefuls, Mr Mohamed Salleh Marican & Mr Farid Khan, had their applications to stand for the election turned down as both did not meet a new requirement for private-sector candidates to helm companies with at least S$500 million in shareholders' equity.read moreWhy Singaporeans aren't all glad to get the president they wanted

There are also many Singaporeans thrilled to see Mrs Halimah become president

Singapore has named its first female president, Halimah Yacob. A popular public figure, Mrs Halimah was widely expected to win the presidential election, but instead will begin her term amid controversy.So why are Singaporeans not happy to get the president many wanted?

'Selected, not elected'

For starters, there hasn't been and won't be an election - she just got the job in a "walkover" because there were no other eligible candidates.read moreWe didn’t like #PE2017, but we didn’t resist, either

Finally, Singapore has a female president. A woman as our head of state. Her photo will hang in every government building, not as the benevolently smiling wife, but as the boss.I would have expected myself to be bloody ecstatic.Instead, I’m feeling a range of emotions that run the gamut from a simmering anger to an exasperated eye-roll. The pride I should have felt over what would otherwise be significant progress in the political landscape of my country has been usurped by an overwhelming sense of having been taken for a ride.read moreAngry react only: A Halimah Yacob walkover induces palpable angry reactions

Angry Facebook reactions

And the evidence of the backlash against her and a walkover is evident on social media. Articles shared by the mainstream media in Singapore about Halimah since Sept. 11 evening after her eligibility was announced have been met with substantial angry reactions.In news related to Halimah since Sept. 11, the Facebook angry reaction has been consistently the second-most used after the default Facebook Like. For example, when the news first broke that only Halimah is eligible to run for office, there were 668 Likes and 551 angry reactions.The proportion can be as high as 40 percent in some instances for news on Halimah.read moreWake Up, Singapore 11 September at 02:40

"We did not get a chance to speak with our vote this round, but the time will come. And when it does, it will be thunderous. Of this I am sure."read moreSingaporeans Are Using #notmypresident To Express Displeasure At PE2017 Walkover

When it was announced that Madam Halimah Yacob would become Singapore’s next President via walkover, few were surprised, given that it was predicted that the other 2 candidates would not be issued their Certificates of Eligibility (COE), as they did not meet the $500 million shareholders equity benchmark.Nonetheless, masses of Singaporeans voiced their displeasure and disgust at the result.Inspired by the protesters following US President Donald Trump’s victory, Singaporeans took to social media and began using the #NotMyPresident hashtag to air their frustrations at the outcome of the 2017 Presidential Election.read more#NotMyPresident starts trending in Singapore after elections confirmed to be a walkover

As of today, that presumption simply entrenched itself further, and there’s nothing anyone can do. Halimah Yacob will be president, and the PAP’s strength grows even larger.Similarly, the outpouring of public disappointment has grown even bigger, especially on social media since the news broke. And not just because the absence of election deprived everyone of a official public holiday.Harking to the days when Americans started the #NotMyPresident movement after Donald Trump became president, angry Singaporeans started using the same hashtag to make their frustrations clear. It’s already trending on Twitter and Facebook.read morePEC decision on Halimah Yacob's eligibility sparks #notmypresident hashtag

Barely minutes after former Speaker of Parliament Halimah Yacob was confirmed on Monday (11 September) as the only eligible candidate for this year’s Presidential Election (PE), a number of Singaporeans began using the hashtag #notmypresident in their social media posts.The use of the hashtag has continued to gather momentum in the past few hours, with Singaporeans expressing dissatisfaction that there would be a walkover for the PE. Polling Day for the PE, which is reserved for Malay candidates, has been set for 23 September but is unlikely to take place.In a media release on Monday, the Elections Department (ELD) said the Presidential Elections Committee (PEC) had received applications from five individuals looking to contest the PE but had only issued one Certificate of Eligibility.read moreMartin Archie‏ @generalmartin

#NotMyPresident starts trending in Singapore after elections confirmed to be a walkover. https://goo.gl/wc593vJack Chong‏ @JackChong Sep 11Singaporeans using #NotMyPresident cause its a walkover. Please. You tell me 3 things the president of Singapore do 1st? #ActSmart2 replies 0 retweets 2 likesReply 2 Retweet Like 2skybear‏ @poohbearNducky 17h17 hours agoSAD DAY FOR SINGAPORE! END OF DEMOCRACY ? A PRESIDENT ELECTED? I RESPECT TRUMP AT LEAST HE IS ELECTED !!! NOT HALiMAH #NotMyPresident0 replies 2 retweets 0 likesReply Retweet 2 Like Juice Tine‏ @TheJuh0 21h21 hours agoNICE NOW SINGAPORE HAS A FIRST FEMALE PRESIDENT BECAUSE THE OTHER CANDIDATE WHO IS A MALE FAILED TO QUALIFY FOR PRESIDENCY #NOTMYPRESIDENT3 replies 0 retweets 0 likesReply 3 Retweet Like skybear‏ @poohbearNducky 17h17 hours agoIs singapore a democratic country? I believe Mdm halimah doesnt even have the ability to create a 200 million company, #NotMyPresident1 reply 2 retweets 2 likesReply 1 Retweet 2 Like 2Martin Archie‏ @generalmartin Sep 11Just another puppet president #NotMyPresident #pap #sggov #sg #singapore #HalimahYacob #puppet #gov #joke #politicstoday #politicsread moreDr Tan Cheng Bock 15 hrs

But for PE 2017, the Government did not put up another Malay candidate aside from Mdm Halimah. Instead, 2 independent candidates, Salleh Marican and Farid Khan, valiantly stepped up. Everyone knew Mdm Halimah would win. Still, we looked forward to a poll to tell the Government what we thought about the elections. However, the PEC rejected the 2 men (contrast PE 2011 where the PEC permitted Tan Kin Lian and Tan Jee Say to contest via the deliberative track). As a result, we have a disappointing walkover.People now feel muzzled and angry. Because when you take away our right to vote, you take away our political voice. You tell us that our choice does not matter.PE 2017 has been a quiet affair. But there is now a deafening silence awakening the nation. We did not get a chance to speak with our vote this round, but the time will come. And when it does, it will be thunderous. Of this I am sure.read moreWake Up, Singapore shared Lhu Wen Kai's post13 hrs

SPANISH TOURIST ON SINGAPORE'S PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS(https://www.patreon.com/ownselfcheckownself)It saddens me to see my country becoming this political Wild West where rules can be bent and exploited as per the authorities' wishes. The situation has gotten so bad that they don't even attempt to be subtle anymore.The cynical side of me feels that while Halimah Yacob's appointment is one that primarily serves the establishment's needs, it's also disguised as a smart PR move to curry favor among Western liberal media outlets. In this age where everyone's busy singing the praises of Islam and feminism is a convenient buzzword to demonstrate self-righteousness, having a female, tudung-wearing President will a) make sites like Vox and NowThis wet, and b) outsiders think that Singapore is a progressive society, As such, it pleases me to no end that left-wing outlets have so far recognised the farcical nature of our Presidential Elections and chose not to mindlessly cover it to further their agenda.read moreHALIMAH YACOB IKON WANITA

It is one of the worst kept secrets this year, where she decided not to say yes until everything has been sorted out (she had to talk to her family, residents, consider her existing duties etc etc).It’s not like she can suka suka drop everything and go for the presidency, and if she loses, it’s not like she can just say “Can put me back as Speaker?” right?So what other worst-er kept secrets did Halimah Yacob have that maybe you already knew (or can just pretend you did)?

To be a Malay, said Mahathir, is no more an ethnic thing as today it is more of a legal matter

Who is a Malay? The debate is still raging in Singapore with many disputing the Malay credentials of the PAP’s Presidential election’s candidate.But a doctor’s prescription on who is a Malay in Malaysia could save Halimah Yacob the day in the court of the social-media haranguers.The book A Doctor In The House could eventually settle the issue of ‘who is a Malay’ and could endorse Halimah’s Malay credentialsread more

Meltwater, a global media monitoring house, found that 83% of social media users had a negative reaction to the election result, with only 17% positive. Singapore is one of the world’s most cyber-connected cities, with over 77% of the population active on social media“It seems to me that the top government leaders have been going into overdrive, trying hard to convince Singaporeans that the elected presidency is an integral pillar of Singapore’s commitment to multiracialism,” said Sylvia Lim, chairman of the opposition Workers’ Party, in parliament. “The government now appears to be well-aware of the unhappiness on the ground caused by its maneuvers to install president Halimah.”Others resented how the uncontested race perpetuated an unflattering stereotype that ethnic Malays are unable to succeed without state hand-outs and affirmative action policies. Singapore’s resident 3.9 million population, not including the expatriate population, consists of 74.3% ethnic Chinese, 13.3% ethnic Malays and 9.1% Indian, and 3.2% Eurasians and other groups, according to official census data.Social media users questioned the three initial potential candidates self-professed ethnic origins from the Indian subcontinent, sparking the type of race-based mockery authorities have long suppressed and discouraged. Others claimed the episode revealed the PAP – which views itself as a guardian of the city-state’s delicate multiethnic balance – as playing racial politics.readmoreSingapore's 8th & first woman President & first Presidential election reserved for Malays

Accordimg to a Geomancy Master, The Presidential Election polling day on Sep 23 is a special day:

2 +3 = 5

5 in Thai is "Ha" and in Malay is "Lima"

So, it is "Halima"

Hence "5 5 5" in Thai is "Ha Ha Ha"

"An Indian Muslim can be a Malay but a Malay Christian cannot be a Malay"